Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium. 
xe2x80x98Empire Courtneyxe2x80x99.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Empire Courtneyxe2x80x99,
The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in New Hartford, N.Y. The objective of the breeding program is to create new garden-type Chrysanthemum cultivars having inflorescences with desirable inflorescence forms, attractive floret colors and good garden performance.
The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross made by the Inventor in October, 1995, in New Hartford, N.Y., of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Empire Crown Jewel, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,738, as the female, or seed, parent with a Chrysanthemum proprietary seedling selection identified as code number H94-2, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross grown in a controlled environment in New Hartford, N.Y. in September, 1996. The selection of this plant was based on its desirable inflorescence form, attractive ray floret color and good garden performance.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in a controlled environment in New Hartford, N.Y. since October, 1996, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Empire Courtney has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique charateristics of xe2x80x98Empire Courtneyxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Empire Courtneyxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Upright and mounded plant habit.
2. Freely branching, dense, full plants.
3. Uniform and freely flowering.
4. Daisy-type inflorescences.
5. Lavender pink-colored ray florets.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the female parent, the cultivar Empire Crown Jewel. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Salinas, Calif., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the cultivar Empire Crown Jewel in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more compact and bushier than plants of the cultivar Empire Crown Jewel.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have larger inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Empire Crown Jewel.
3. Ray floret color of plants of the new Chrysanthemum is lighter than ray floret color of plants of the cultivar Empire Crown Jewel.
Compared to plants of the male parent, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ in ray floret color.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the cultivar Felicia, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,809. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Salimas, Calif., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the cultivar Felicia in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more mounded in plant habit than plants of the cultivar Felicia.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have larger inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Felicia.
3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower about three weeks later than plants of the cultivar Felicia.
4. Ray floret color of plants of the new Chrysanthemum is lighter than ray floret color of plants of the cultivar Felicia.